


Sorry

by Bluhungryshrk



Series: WWE Fics [24]
Category: World Wrestling Entertainment
Genre: Alcohol, Angst with a Happy Ending, Drunken Kissing, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, Idiots in Love, Lots Of Hugs As Well, M/M, Men Crying, Mild Angst, Mild Smut, SO MUCH FLUFF, Self Confidence Issues, Self-Doubt, Soft Kisses, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, daniel is very :( and elias makes him :), emotions are hard, its mild because i do not trust myself to write actual smut, lots of kisses, this is very very soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-16
Updated: 2019-04-16
Packaged: 2020-01-14 18:54:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,101
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18482308
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bluhungryshrk/pseuds/Bluhungryshrk
Summary: "Danny, look, I know you think that love is rough, but I'll be here by your side, every step of the way.""You promise?"The reply was instant."I promise."





	Sorry

**Author's Note:**

  * For [RedLlamas](https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedLlamas/gifts).



> I said to Danny, that if Daniel lost the title at WM then I was going to write a 10k fic where he gets the love he deserves... Well here it is.
> 
> This fic is based on the song [Sorry by Nothing But Thieves](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9_BsjMi4bM)

He missed having the belt in his hands as soon as he had lost it. He missed the feeling of the smoothed polished wood under his fingertips and the contrast of the rough and coarse feel of the hemp as he held the belt high above his head.

He missed feeling important.

The belt symbolised the best of the best, it distinguished the line between the ones who succeeded and the ones who failed. And when he lost it, he felt like he had failed.

It was an insurmountable pressure to be on top, and while Daniel hated not having the belt in his hands, he felt relieved. Relieved and unsatisfied, like a book with an unsatiated ending, he felt like there was a chapter that needed writing, but the pen that he needed to write with had been taken: snatched from his hands.

They no longer cheered his name as they had before, and that struck something inside of him, something deep down. He had told himself that the opinions of the people didn't matter anymore, but some part of him, a part he never wanted to see, held on.

That part of him gripped so tightly that seeing the people who relied so much upon cheering for someone other than him hurt. It hurt so much.

But what could you do other than put on a mask and pretend like everything was ok? If you showed your true colours, would anyone else care? The answer was no. He just had to pick himself up off the floor and carry on.

But he couldn't.

The moment he lost the title just kept replaying over, and over, and over again in his mind. It was too quick, he was caught off guard, he should have been better, but he wasn't and now he had paid the price. He said that he would be the WWE champion forever, but he wasn't, now someone else was holding the belt that he once had.  
  
There was someone else who was becoming the legend he always wanted to be.

He was backstage after just losing the title, he had hidden himself in a random room; the first one he saw after getting backstage in a rush to get away, and the feeling he had in his stomach was indescribable. It twisted and churned with every passing moment, and soon the crushing realisation set in. It made his head hurt and his eyes sting, and Daniel found himself bringing up a hand to touch the spot where the belt would usually rest.

Once where he would have been met with the smoothed polished grains of wood, he was now met with the sweat that clung to his skin. His finger tapped his shoulder blade a few times, an upsetting reminder of the thing that was missing and Daniel slowly withdrew his hand, letting out a deep breath as he did so.

It was unusual: not winning, not having the crowd cheer for him, not having hope. It was unusual and Daniel did not like it. He liked having the people cheer for him, it made him feel special, it made him feel loved, it made him feel like he was someone.

He wishes that he could feel important again.

The silence is deafening, and Daniel longs for something to take his mind away from the belt. He doesn't want to remember his failure.

But nothing came.

Nothing came to take his mind off of the events that had happened and with every second that passed by, Daniel could only think. His mind telling him all the things that he did wrong, all of the ways that he could improve, all the mistakes that he made.  
  
And while a part of him wants someone to find him: wants a distraction, another part wants to remain alone, it wants to remain alone because Daniel doesn't know if he'll be able to bear having someone else near him.

He feels too raw, too emotional, too strung up, and if someone else was there, Daniel would break. He would break, and crumble, and fall, and he wouldn't, _couldn't_ , handle that if he did.

His back hit the wall gently, and he slid down it, ending up on the floor. He looked down at his hands, as he swallowed thickly. His eyes stung suddenly, and his vision blurred ever so slightly. He took in a shaking breath as he blinked rapidly to get rid of the tears. Daniel wiped them away with the palm of his hand, sniffing quietly.

He didn't even know why he was crying, he had lost titles before, but something about the way that no-one cheered for him; the way that no-one wanted him to succeed as they did before, made him feel upset. The tears came quicker than he could wipe them away and Daniel couldn't even find it in himself to care. He allowed all the emotions to come pouring out: all the anger, all the resentment, all the fear, ever since he came back from retirement.

He just felt so alone.

He missed Kane. Kane always knew what to do, he was constantly moving, never stopping, never getting lost. Daniel wished that he could find out what to do. He wished that he had someone to look out for him.

He wanted someone.

He _needed_ someone.

Someone to tell him that everything would be okay, even if it wasn't, he needed someone who could give him hope when he didn't have any. He needed someone to make him laugh even on the darkest of days, he just needed _someone_.

The sudden click of the door opening startled him out of his next thoughts. He jumped up onto his feet, quickly rubbing his face with his hands to try and get rid of any sign of what he had been doing.

A man stepped through the door, noticing him immediately, "Daniel?"

"Elias?"

Daniel, to say the least, was surprised. He hadn't thought that anyone would walk in the room he was in, let alone Elias. They didn't even know each other that well, they were colleagues, but nothing more. All that Daniel knew about Elias was that he was a hard worker, and good at his job, which was enough to get Daniel's respect, but he trusted him no farther than he could throw him.

"What are you doing in here?"

"I could ask the same about you," Daniel said defensively, his shoulders raising up subconsciously. He didn't mean to sound so aggressive, but with the events that had just happened, Daniel's guard was up.

Elias' eyes went wide and he raised his hands to try and diffuse some of the tension, "Woah, I didn't mean to make you mad, I was just asking, and have you been crying?."

"No," Daniel lied, bringing up a hand to rub his eyes.

"Daniel, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," He said, a bit too quickly, causing Elias to narrow his eyes ever so slightly, Daniel inwardly begged that Elias would drop it and just leave, he didn't have enough mental strength to push him away.

"I don't believe that."

Daniel bit his lip, averting his gaze as he nervously wrung his hands. He didn't reply, and Elias took his silence as Daniel wanting him to stay.

Daniel didn't know if he wanted Elias to stay, a part of him was desperate for contact, desperate for someone to listen to him. A part of him needed Elias to stay. But the other part of him wanted Elias to leave. Daniel knew that he wouldn't be able to prevent Elias from worming his way inside the walls that had been broken down.

He was tired, the adrenalin of the match was starting to wear off, cuts and bruises that he didn't even know he had were starting to make themselves known. His joints ached, and his legs felt heavy, his head hurt and he just wanted to sleep.

Daniel leant back against the wall, he sighed as he slid down the wall again, still not looking at Elias: he only stared at the wall opposite him.

Elias moved quietly, and soon enough, he was sat next to Daniel on the floor. They both sat in silence, although Daniel could feel the nerves seeping back in, as an uneasy feeling washed over him.

"I'm sorry that you lost the title," Elias said after a while, his voice quiet and Daniel could only scoff.

"Me too."

Daniel kept on staring forwards, ingraining each line and mark on the wall in front of him into his mind as the minutes ticked by. He could feel Elias' eyes on the side of his face, his gaze seemingly burning into him as he continued to look at the wall.

He didn't look at Elias, not once.

He wouldn't be able to bear it if he did.

Minutes passed before Elias said, "Do... Do you want to talk about it? I mean about what's got you so upset?"

"I'm not upset."

"Really?" Elias deadpanned, his tone causing Daniel to turn his head to look at him, still not making eye contact, but still looking in his general direction, "Daniel, you've been crying, I can tell. I know you're not fine."

Daniel didn't look away after that. He stared deep into Elias' hazel brown eyes for the first time. Both of them stared, neither one of them wanting to back down, and Daniel found himself wondering why Elias was so adamant on making sure he was ok.

Elias' eyes scanned his face, and Daniel swallowed nervously. The silence was deafening and Daniel found himself wringing his hands together. Elias caught the movement out of the corner of his eye and glanced at his hands, making Daniel stop immediately. Elias' stare: his gaze made Daniel feel small, and he found himself shrinking under his stare.

"It's just..." Daniel started, looking away once again, as he tried to finish his sentence, digging his nails into the back of his hand.

Elias waited patiently, and Daniel only felt more tense. He would rather Elias told him to hurry up and tell him; his patience only made him uneasy, like there was something malicious hidden behind those hazel eyes.

Daniel was used to people turning on him, people using him, making him believe that they cared about him, only to leave him, to hurt him, to break his trust.

He was fed up with people deserting him.

"It's just what?" Elias said after a while, his voice so soft that it sent a shiver down his spine, that tone of voice only meant bad things.

Daniel turned to look at him again, "Why are you doing this?"

Elias blinked and furrowed his eyebrows, "Doing what?"

"This-" Daniel said, gesturing with his hands to the empty space in front of him, "-why are you asking how I am? Why are you making sure I'm okay?"

Elias only seemed confused by Daniel's words, his brows knitting together as he looked at Daniel, "You're asking me why I'm checking up on you?"  
  
Daniel nodded.  
  
"Why wouldn't I? I mean I walked in here, expecting to be alone, and I was met with you, who had just been crying, hiding in here, not even looking me in my eye, and you ask me why I'm checking up on you?"

Now that he said it like that, it did sound pretty obvious.

"Daniel look, I don't know you that well, but you're upset, I mean I would be too if I was in your position, and I just want you to know that you can tell me what's on your mind."

"You said yourself, you don't even know me that well, so why ar-."

"I know you well enough to want to make you feel better."

Daniel stayed silent after that. He bit the inside of his cheek as he tried to work up the courage to tell Elias what was wrong. But, the thing is, Daniel himself didn't know what was wrong. He shouldn't be feeling like this, he lost the title, so what? Someone more deserving, someone who the people cheered for, someone who was better off with the title.

Someone who wasn't him.

Was it selfish to want to have the title forever? Not because he doesn't want anyone else to have it, but because it made him feel special to call himself the 'WWE Champion', did that make him a bad person?

Daniel gave Elias a sideways glance, and took a deep breath in, "I- It's just that..."

Elias gave him an encouraging look, and Daniel found the confidence to say, "It feels weird to not have people cheer for me, and I mean weird in a bad way. People just move on so quickly, and I can't keep up. Everyone was cheering for me a few months ago, and now it just feels like everyone's forgotten about me, like they've moved on to better things, and I don't want to be forgotten."

Elias pondered in thought for a second, but his expression softened ever so slightly, Daniel didn't know if it was out of pity, or because he could relate. Elias didn't sneer or tell him that he had no reason to be upset like Daniel expected him to. He sat there and listened, actually listened.

"People are always going to be like that, Daniel, we're fickle beings, but no-one will forget you because you've done great things in your life, you've inspired so many people, and just because they're cheering for someone else doesn't mean that they've forgotten you."

"It feels like no-one wants me to win anymore."

"That's not true."

"Really? Do you actually believe that, or are you just saying it to make me feel better?"

"I believe it."

Daniel opened his mouth to speak but snapped it shut almost immediately. He thought for a second, the sincerity in his voice caught him off guard and Daniel didn't know how to respond.

"...Who wants me to win?" He said after a moments thought.

"I do."

Daniel looked at him after that, he looked at him long and hard, narrowing his eyes to spot for any hint of a lie. Elias' response caught him even more off guard, and Daniel found himself not being able to respond back.

"W- Why do _you_ want me to win?" Daniel said incredulously, he just felt so confused and didn't know whether to believe him or not.

"Because you're Daniel Bryan, and everyone wants Daniel Bryan to win."

Daniel scoffs at that, "Yeah, a few months ago maybe... but not today."

Elias frowned at that, and Daniel found himself staring back at the same place on the wall that he had been before. Whether Elias wanted to admit it or not, Daniel was right, nobody cared about Daniel Bryan anymore, he was just an afterthought, he was just someone who wasn't as good as he once was.

"I want you to win because you inspire me."

Daniel eyebrows furrowed together in confusion, and some part of Daniel didn't want to believe what Elias was telling him, but the other part of him clung desperately to his words.

"And you make me want to be better."

Daniel can feel Elias' eyes on the side of his head, he can feel his gaze piercing into him, and Daniel forces himself to look Elias in the eye.

"You make me want to be the best I can be and more."

Daniel still doesn't speak, he doesn't trust himself to, he just stares Elias in the eye. Elias can see the gratefulness in Daniel's eyes, he can see the thanks that Daniel didn't say, he can see the relief in his expression that Daniel gave him.

Elias doesn't say anything either. He knows that he's done enough. They both sit in silence, Elias giving Daniel glances that Daniel never fails to miss. Daniel had never felt so open, so raw, so emotional. He had always prided himself on the fact that he had walls that nobody had ever breached; that he didn't allow his emotions to get the better of him.

Daniel realises that the hyperbaric chambers had affected him more than he ever wanted to admit, that his retirement changed him in a way he never thought it could. Daniel looked down at his hands, playing with the pad of his thumb as the seconds ticked by.

"Thanks," Daniel mumbled after a while.

"It's ok," Elias replied, his voice low, and Daniel didn't know whether Elias was telling him that his thanks were appreciated or whether Elias was reassuring him; telling him that everything was going to be alright.

Either way, Daniel was grateful for his words, for his presence, for just being _him_. Daniel was just glad that Elias was there with him.

"Why _did_ you come in here?" Daniel asked after the silence became too much for him to bear.

"I was hiding from Bayley, she's been trying to hug me for ages," Elias states with a small smile.

Daniel huffed out a laugh after that, and Daniel noticed the smile on Elias' face grew even bigger. Daniel glanced at him, their eyes connecting and for once, Daniel didn't feel alone, the smile on his face still present even after he looked away.

Daniel didn't know how much time had passed before his eyes started feeling heavy, and it became a struggle to keep them open. His legs were starting to go dead, and his back was starting to ache from leaning against the wall for so long.

"You ready to leave?" Elias said as if he could read Daniel's mind, nudging Daniel lightly with his elbow to get his attention.

"Yeah."

Elias got up first, stretching his arms and legs out as Daniel slowly got up off the floor, wincing as he did so. Elias put a hand on Daniel's shoulder, making Daniel tense up slightly, but not enough for Elias to remove his hand.

"You ok?"

"Yeah, just a little bit sore from the match, nothing too much. I'll be fine." Daniel replied, giving Elias a small smile, and Daniel could tell that Elias didn't fully believe him; Daniel didn't even know if he believed himself.

Elias gave him an abrupt nod, before turning away to head to the door, Daniel following behind him.

The brightness of the lights as they left the room made Daniel's eyes sting, wincing from how bright they were. He blinked rapidly as he looked up at Elias.

"We'd better go," Elias said, and Daniel only nodded in agreement.

They were both going to head in separate ways, but Daniel knew that he had to say something to him, so as Elias turned to walk away, Daniel quickly said, "Thank you... for, y'know, everything. I mean it."

Elias just gave Daniel a smile, "It's ok, Daniel."

Even after Elias had walked away, Daniel felt like he couldn't move, a strange mixture of relief and confusion in his mind. He could still feel the warmth that radiated from Elias' hand on his shoulder. He brought a hand up to the place where Elias' hand once was, and a strange feeling washed over him, it churned in his stomach, twisting and knotting it, but not in a painful way, it just made him want to know more about Elias, something about Elias drew him in, something about Elias excited him, and his stomach burned with the feeling of him.

Elias was the first person to be that kind to him, well maybe not as kind as Kane was, but that wound hadn't fully healed yet, and suddenly he yearned for more contact with him. Daniel realised that Elias was quickly becoming someone that Daniel would like, and maybe even someone that Daniel would trust.

Daniel let his arm drop to his side and shook his head, a small smile forming where there once was a frown.

Elias Samson was a person that Daniel would like to know very well.

 

It's safe to say that Elias had been on his mind all week, they hadn't seen each other much, only side glances as they walked past each other, giving each other a quick nod or sheepish smile.

But it was that little contact that drew Daniel in, the words that Elias had said to him made him believe in himself again. He felt like Elias was the only person who wanted him to succeed anymore, but even if that was true, Daniel realised that he didn't care, because even if only one person believed in him, that was still enough for him to pick himself up off the ground and carry on.

They met again, Daniel walking over to Elias, the smile on his face growing when Elias saw him walking over.

"Hey," Elias said, his voice soft and Daniel could hear the smile in his tone.

"Hey. I just wanted to say thanks for the other day, you, uh, you really helped me out."

"It's nothing Daniel, really."

"Still, I wanted to make it up to you. What you did for me really meant a lot."  
  
"You want to make it up to me?"

"Yeah."

"Ok, why don't you come out for a drink with me?"

"A drink, really?" Daniel said, a smirk on his face, he didn't know Elias was so cheesy.

"Yeah, sure, it'll be fun."

Daniel shrugged, "Sure, why not?"

The grin that Elias gave him was well worth it, "Great, I'll pick you up at 8."

Daniel could only smile back, feeling more relaxed around Elias than he had felt in a long, long, time, and Daniel found himself with his guard down as he and Elias talked, but for the first time, Daniel felt like he didn't care.

Being with Elias made him feel like he was actually someone again: something he hadn't felt in a long, long, time. Daniel felt like he could truly appreciate Elias at that moment, his long hair pulled back in a ponytail, the smile from a laugh still evident on his face.

Daniel did feel a little embarrassed that he poured his heart out to Elias. But Elias hadn't made fun of him, he hadn't dismissed his problem, Elias helped him, he told him the things that he needed to hear.

And Daniel was grateful for that.

But at the same time, there was a little voice niggling in the back of his mind: something telling him not to let his guard down because if he did, then it would only get him hurt.

They hadn't known each other long, but Daniel desperately wanted to know Elias better, but he couldn't help but wonder if the compassion that Elias showed him was just a lie.

He had lost the title, a sad reminder that made his heart clench and his stomach twist up in knots so Elias couldn't be after that. And Daniel realised, in all its tragic glory, that he had nothing.

He didn't have the title, hell, he didn't even have the people's support anymore. He had nothing, so why was Elias being so kind to him?

Why was Elias adamant on destroying all his self-doubt? Questions keep on forming inside his head, and he mulled over each one as they formed, a frown growing steadily on his face.

A hand waving in front of his face startled him out of his trance, "Hey Daniel, are you ok?"

Oh. He had forgotten that Elias was there, "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine, don't worry, just thinking."

Elias frowned, "thinking about what?"

"Nothing important."

Elias gave him a look that Daniel struggled to not buckle under, but dropped it after a few seconds, Daniel almost let out a sigh of relief when Elias carried on with what he was talking about, Daniel making more of an effort to listen so he wouldn't get called out again.

When Daniel actually started paying attention, he allowed himself to enjoy the conversation, to enjoy the presence of Elias next to him, he felt relaxed, probably for the first time in a while.

Probably a bit too relaxed.

He couldn't help it when his gaze fixated on Elias, indulging himself on the beauty of Elias, allowing himself to bask in the safety that Elias brings him.

Daniel doesn't notice the grin that just keeps on growing the longer that he looks at Elias, but Elias does. Elias pauses mid-sentence, and just can't help the grin on his face.

"Are you gonna stare at me like that forever?"

"I'm not staring," Daniel says, and Elias just chuckles.

"You were definitely staring."

"No, I wasn't," Daniel says, not being able to stop his own laugh from coming through.

They argue back and forth for a little while, just like old friends, and Daniel is so grateful that he can consider Elias a friend; he just doesn't know where he would be without him.

The time was nearing for them to part ways, and Daniel didn't want to go. He acknowledged every second, relishing in the last few minutes that he could spend with Elias.

The time came for Elias to leave, and Daniel found a large part of him wishing to stay with Elias for a little while longer. But before Elias turned to leave, he stuck his hand out towards Daniel, a little piece of paper between his index finger and thumb.

Daniel looked at it, confused he looked back up at Elias, his brows knitting together, but was only met with Elias' smile.

"So you can write your number, I need to be able to call you about our drink," Elias states as if it's the most obvious thing, and Daniel can only mumble out an, "oh", before he takes it from Elias' hand, scribbling his number down with the pen that Elias provided for him, before handing it back with a smile on his face.

"I'll call you later," Elias says, and Daniel can hear the softness in his voice.

"Yeah, I, uh, I look forward to it."

Elias walked away with a smile on his face, and Daniel could only stare dumbly at the place where Elias once was, his heart beating a bit faster than he would like it to.

Elias calls him not long after he got home that evening, nerves wracking through his body as the phone rung suddenly. He picked it up, and Daniel's heart jumped once he heard Elias' gruff voice.

Daniel hung up the phone after Elias told him that they were going to the new bar in town, and Daniel felt a weird mixture of nervousness and excitement. Daniel still didn't move, not even after 5 minutes had passed after he hung up the phone. His mind was still trying to comprehend the fact that Elias actually wanted to have a drink with him, and a small smile formed on his face at the realisation.

Elias picks him up right on time, and Daniel would be lying if he said that he hadn't been waiting for 10 minutes prior, just waiting at the door, his stomach twisting and turning with nerves, and Daniel almost called Elias to cancel multiple times when the nerves got too great.

Even though he had been waiting for a long time, when Elias _did_ knock on the door, Daniel almost jumped out of his skin. He waited a couple of seconds to seem like he wasn't waiting for him before opening the door.

When he sees Elias after opening the door, Daniel can only stare, because Elias looks beautiful. The clothes that Elias is wearing are just ordinary clothes, Elias told him not to wear anything special, but Elias made them look amazing.

"You like what you see?" Elias teases with a smirk, and Daniel can feel the blush rising to his cheeks.

Daniel just smiles, and Elias beckons him out. Daniel feels the nerves bubbling up inside him, but they mostly dissipate when Ellias gives him a reassuring smile.

The bar is modern and filled with people dancing and having a good time. Daniel subconsciously holds on to Elias' arm just so he doesn't lose him somehow, and Elias gives him a small grin, a red tint flushing Daniel's face when he realises what he was doing, but still not letting him go.

Elias finds them a place right at the bar, and he orders the both of them the strongest drinks that the bar had to offer.

"Thank you for this, I mean, I know I've thanked you a lot, but I really, really, mean it. You didn't have to do what you did, but you did, and I just wanted you to know that I'm grateful." Daniel said, and Elias couldn't help but notice the sparkle in Daniel's eyes as he said it, maybe it was the excitement that he was feeling, maybe it wasn't.

"Daniel, honestly, it's nothing," Elias responded, his eyes wide with sincerity, and Daniel felt compelled to believe him.

Daniel hadn't even realised that Elias had a hand on his arm until Elias squeezed it lightly as a reassurance.

Elias' hand on his arm felt comforting, it created a warmth that spread throughout his arm, travelling down his spine to the tips of his toes.

Daniel let out a sheepish smile, and nodded slightly, causing Elias to give him a grin and remove his hand. Daniel tried to hide his dismay when Elias removed his hand, immediately missing the warmth that it brought him.

The rest of the night goes by in a haze, they drink, then talk, then drink some more, then talk some more, and eventually Daniel is stumbling through the door to his place, almost falling over.

He considers it an achievement that he only walked into 3 walls before collapsing on his bed, not even bothering to take his clothes off. He can't help but fall asleep to the smile on Elias' face.

 

  
It had been a couple of months after that night at the bar, and Daniel felt like he had finally found someone who he felt safe around.

The moment when Elias had placed his hand on Daniel's arm had been a constant thought in his mind during the few months, and every time he remembered it, his stomach would flutter and his heart would race a little.

Daniel can see in Elias' eyes that he wants more, and Daniel can't help but feel the same way. He sees the longing look that Elias gives him, even when Elias thinks that he doesn't notice them, he always does, and each stare only makes the butterflies in his stomach grow larger and more fierce.

They're back at the same bar as they were before, and Daniel has had had enough to drink so that his mind is buzzing slightly. He leans into Elias slightly, watching as Elias downs a shot of whiskey in one, wincing and shaking his head to get rid of the taste.

Daniel doesn't even know how they got talking about love, he thinks that it's probably due to the fact that when he's drunk, Daniel gets pretty emotional.

"I mean, like," Daniel starts, swirling his drink around in his hand, "what _is_ love?"

Elias just laughs; a loud laugh that makes him tilt his head back, eyes crinkling in the corners, a hand on his stomach and Daniel almost forgets how to breathe.

"Jesus Christ, Danny, you've drunk too much." Elias eventually says when his laughter dies down.

Daniel lets out a small giggle of his own, drinking the rest of his drink and placing it down on the bar with a loud clink.

They aren't that drunk, Daniel thinks, just a little bit buzzed, and Daniel stops himself before he can drown himself in alcohol like he did last time, the headache he had was unbearable and Daniel didn't want to go through it again.

"C'mon, let's go, we don't want to get too drunk," Daniel says, nudging Elias in the side before clambering off of the bar stool. Elias frowns but still nods his head, following Daniel out of the bar.

Even though they have had a good time, Elias can't help but notice that Daniel wasn't being himself. "Daniel, you've been pretty quiet today, you okay?" Elias asks, looping an arm around Daniel's shoulders as they walked.

"Huh? Yeah, I'm fine, just thinking is all."

"Thinking about what?"

"Nothing important."

"It must be important if it's been on your mind for so long," Elias says, stopping the two from walking, turning to face Daniel.

Daniel looked up at him, "Elias, c'mon lets just go home."

"Not 'til you tell me what's on your mind."

"Elias, pl-"

"No, Danny, c'mon, you've been so quiet, and I don't like seeing you like this."

Daniel sighed, "Fine, it's just..."

"Yeah?"

"I've been thinking about us."

"Us?"

Daniel swallowed nervously, "Yeah, us."

"Do you want there to be an 'us'?" Elias asked, and Daniel looked to see if there was any hint of mocking in his tone, but Daniel couldn't find any.

Daniel didn't say anything, so Elias did, "'Cause, I do. I want there to be an us"

Daniel's eyes widened slightly, and he found himself looking down, saying quietly, "I- I want there to be an us too, but..."

"But what Daniel?" Elias says, and Daniel finally looks up at him, noticing that he was a lot closer than he was before.

Elias' eyes flutter down to Daniel's lips, and Daniel instinctively wets them with his tongue, biting the inside of his cheek. He wants to kiss Elias, he really, really does, and it seems that Elias is eager too.

Elias moves in to kiss him, and Daniel feels all breath leave his body, he can smell the slight bit of alcohol on his breath. Elias was so close, and Daniel was desperate to connect their lips. But, at the same time, he couldn't. Elias meant too much to him, and if Elias loved him, then only bad things would come of it.

Daniel turned his head away last second, avoiding the kiss that Elias tried to give him.

Hurt sparked in Elias' eyes, and Daniel quickly blurted out, "We shouldn't do this. I don't want to hurt you."

"Daniel, you are not gonna hurt me, I know you, you're not like that."

"Please. I don't want to prove you wrong."

Elias brings up a hand to cup the side of Daniel's face, his thumb  
brushing over the corner of Daniel's mouth, "Daniel, look, I love you, alright."

Daniel winced as soon as Elias said that, he nearly physically flinched, and Elias couldn't help the way that his heart clenched painfully at the sight of it. Daniel whispered, "Don't- don't say that, please. You don't mean it."

"I do mean it, Daniel," Elias said, moving closer to Daniel, taking his time so that Daniel wouldn't push him away, "and I know you love me too. You are not going to hurt me, Daniel, I trust you, okay?"

Daniel nodded as he swallowed past the lump in his throat, and he couldn't bring himself to look Elias in the eye. The hand that Elias had on Daniel's cheek shifted so that it was on the underside of Daniel's chin.

He lightly tilted Daniel's chin upwards, so that Daniel was looking at him. He leaned in to kiss Daniel, close enough so that their lips were brushing over each other, and Daniel can taste the whiskey in his breath.

Daniel felt a shiver run down his spine when Elias whispered, "I trust you, Daniel."

And with that, Elias kisses him.

It's a soft kiss at first, a gentle one, and Daniel feels all his breath leave his body. Elias' hands find themselves on Daniel's hips, and soon enough, Elias is pushing him back, Daniel lets out a soft grunt as he connects solidly with the wall behind him.

Elias' lips are still on his, but this time, they're more hungry, and Daniel feels his heart race in his chest as Elias kisses him harder.

Daniel finds himself completely enveloped by the warmth that Elias radiates, and Daniel hums contentedly. Elias' hands are on his back, one hand grasping his shirt, and the other under his shirt, his cold hand against the warmth of his back sending a shiver down Daniel's spine.

His head is spinning, a mixture of the alcohol and the plethora of feelings and emotions flooding his mind. Elias is kissing him hard, bruising his lips almost and Daniel can only open his mouth to accommodate. Daniel realises that his eyes are closed because he cannot, for the life of him, remember what Elias looks like, but he doesn't care because all he can focus on is the feeling of Elias.

The feeling of Elias' mouth on his, the feeling of Elias' warm, solid, weight pushing against him, trapping him against the wall, the feeling of Elias' hands grasping every part of him that they can reach.

He can feel how desperate Elias is: how much Elias wants him, how much he _needs_ him. And Daniel would be lying if he said that the realisation didn't scare him.

It comes crashing down on him, suffocating him almost. Panic starts to rise in his throat, his heart beating faster as he realises that he can't do it. Elias' is so insistent, kissing harder, deeper, more impatient, and Daniel doesn't want to turn him down. Elias has been so kind to him; he was the one person who Daniel could rely on, the one person who really, really, _knew_ him. Elias would be devastated, and Daniel couldn't bear that.

He would just go along with it, Daniel told himself, but he couldn't stop the racing of his heart and the twisting of his stomach as Elias deepened the kiss.

He would just go along with it.

Daniel kissed back, intent on pushing away everything except Elias, but that was easier said than done. He's been through worse, he can get through this, this was insignificant, but if it was so insignificant, then why was it so hard to ignore?

And as Elias' hands start to reach down, and down, and down, Daniel realises that he can't do it anymore.

Daniel shoves Elias' hands away from him, breaking the contact as he pulls away from the kiss. Daniel is still panting from the intensity of the kiss, his heart thrumming in his chest.

Elias looks shocked, a look that makes Daniel feel sick, he just can't believe that he hurt Elias like that, especially after how much he had done for him.

Even after Elias told Daniel that he trusted him, Daniel still hurt him.

Elias' eyes are wide with surprise, and his cheeks are flushed red, his mouth is slightly agape, and Daniel can see that his lips slightly swollen and red. Elias takes a small step back, and Daniel has never seen him look so confused. Elias looks so stung by Daniel's actions and hopes that Elias can forgive him. Daniel looks into Elias' eyes until he can't bear the look he sees in them, turning his head away to look behind Elias.

Elias doesn't know what to say, but he finds his voice to say, "Daniel?"

"I- I'm sorry, I can't do this."

The reply is instant.

Daniel gives Elias one last apologetic look before he pushes past him, walking as fast as he could away. Daniel had never felt so ashamed.

He just couldn't get the look of pure hurt out of his mind.

The look on Elias' face was as if he couldn't understand why Daniel was pushing him away, something that Daniel himself didn't know.

He wanted Elias so bad, he wanted everything about him, from the crinkle of his eyes, to the smile on his face, Daniel just wanted _him_. He had been on fire for him, Elias' mouth was on his and everything felt electric, everything felt right.

But then everything felt wrong.

Daniel had seen, probably for the first time, just how head over heels Elias was for him, and that scared him. If he had known what would happen if he let Elias in, then he would have never opened up to him, because if you love Daniel Bryan, then you're going to get hurt, and Daniel couldn't bear to hurt the one person who has stood by his side ever since Kane left him.

Elias deserved better than him.

Daniel didn't even realise that he was crying until he felt something wet fall down his cheek, hastily wiping it away as he hurried home.

On the way home, Daniel couldn't help but mull over what just happened, and he couldn't help but blame himself. Maybe he was defective, or maybe he was just dumb, how could he push away the one person who had shown that they cared about him?

The realisation of what he did came dawning down on him, twisting in his stomach, churning deep inside. He pushed Elias away. He ran away, left him when all Elias was trying to do was fix him. All Elias was trying to do was patch up all the broken parts of him, and Daniel couldn't even let him to that.

He hurt Elias.

Just like he said he would.

It's a bittersweet 'I told you so' and it tastes sour in his mouth. Daniel feels like he could be sick, his stomach twisting and turning, his head spinning, and every breath coming in short. He just wants to sleep. He was so tired.

Maybe he was bad-natured, maybe he just wasn't brought up to love, or be loved. Maybe he was just too young to realise that love only hurts.

He reaches home far sooner than he thought he would, and he almost collapsed as he got inside the door. He clumsily wiped away any stray tears, sniffing quietly as he closed the door behind him.

He leaned against the door, letting out a loud huff as he bit his bottom lip. He just couldn't believe what he'd done, he'd broke Elias' heart so carelessly, he couldn't let Elias love him because he didn't think that he deserved to be loved.

Daniel felt like he was truly becoming someone that he could love, but now he realises that it only hurts what he's become. It hurts because Elias taught him how to love, and he taught Elias how to stop.

Daniel started to walk towards his room, wiping away any stray tears, before his phone started abruptly ringing. Daniel didn't pick it up, he was too tired: too drained to talk to anybody and he just wanted to sleep, was that too much to ask?

The phone stopped ringing, and Daniel let his shoulders drop. But then the shrill sound of the phone ringing again filled his ears and Daniel rubbed his head, the loud relentless noise giving him a headache.

It was only after the third time that the person tried to call that Daniel looked who it was.

It was Elias.

A part of him just wanted to turn his phone off and go to sleep, but the other part of him wanted to, _had_ to apologise. He just had to say sorry for being so cruel to him, especially after all that Elias did for him. Daniel pushed down all his trepidation and answered the call.

"Daniel, I'm sorry," Elias blurted out, cutting off the apology that was on Daniel's tongue.

Elias' voice sounded so sincere that Daniel had to take a moment, too startled to reply.

Elias took Daniel's silence as a hint to carry on, "I'm so sorry for what I've done, I never should have made you feel uncomfortable like I did. It's my fault and I'm sorry."  
  
Daniel swallowed the lump in his throat, "C- Can we do this in person, please? I- I just need to see you."

"Uh, yeah, of course. Can I come to yours?"

"Yes please."

Elias mumbled a quick, "ok" before hanging up the phone, and Daniel let out a loud breath, sitting down on his bed. He put his face in his hands as he took a deep breath in, squeezing his eyes shut as he nervously bit on the inside of his cheek.

Elias knocked at his door faster than Daniel expected him to, and he jumped slightly at the noise, turning his head to stare at the door. He slowly rose off of the bed, walking to the door.

He took in a deep breath and opened the door.

Daniel was slightly taken aback at Elias' appearance, he looked dishevelled and tired even though it hadn't been long since they last saw each other, his heart clenched painfully at the sight of him.

"I'm sor-" Elias started but was cut off when Daniel surged forwards and hugged him tightly.

Elias let out a grunt at the connection, staggering back slightly as he wrapped his arms around Daniel.

Daniel's hug was surprising but very welcome and Elias found himself tightening his grip around Daniel as buried his face in Elias' chest.

One of Elias' hands found themselves tangled up in Daniel's hair, holding Daniel close. Elias pressed a kiss to Daniel's hair, mumbling apologies as Daniel refused to let go. Daniel's fists curled up on the place on Elias' back, bundling the cloth up in his fingers.

Daniel drew in a shaking breath, biting his bottom lip as he squeezed his eyes shut. He breathed in the scent of Elias: the reassuring smell of musky cologne that Daniel has come to love.

"I'm sorry," Elias whispered, so quietly that Daniel almost missed it.

"Don't be sorry, please don't be sorry, it was my fault," Daniel begged into Elias' chest.

"No, it wasn't."

"Yes, it was. You looked so hurt, and I couldn't bear it. I hurt you like that, I'm so sorry."

"Daniel, please. You didn't hurt me."

"Yes I did, I hurt you, just like I said I would."

"No, no, Danny look, I was upset because I hurt _you_ , not the other way round."

Daniel just tilted his head upwards, his chin resting on Elias' chest, and Elias could see that his cheeks were wet and his eyes watery, his brows knitting together. Elias took his confusion as a hint to carry on, "I didn't realise how uncomfortable you were, and I'm sorry. If I had known, then I would have stopped right away, but I didn't see the signs, and that's my fault, not yours. Please don't blame yourself."

Daniel just placed his head back on Elias' chest, listening to Elias' comforting heartbeat, Elias' hand never leaving its place in Daniel's hair.

"Can we go inside please?" Daniel mumbled.

"Yeah, okay."

Daniel only loosened his grip on Elias ever so slightly, just enough so that the pair of them could come in and close the door behind them.

Daniel was so pent up with emotions that he wanted to just be comforted and held by Elias. Elias led them to Daniel's bed, and Daniel just followed, holding onto Elias like it was the only thing he knew.

Elias sat on the bed, bringing Daniel down with him, and Daniel immediately went to hug him again. Daniel's head rested on Elias' shoulder, facing away from Elias with his eyes closed, his arms wrapped securely around Elias' neck. His cheek was smushed into Elias' shoulder and Daniel had never felt so comfortable. Elias' hands rested on his back, absentmindedly rubbing circles into the fabric of his shirt.

Daniel didn't know how long they'd been there, and he didn't care, because he felt perfectly content with the warm feeling of Elias' arms wrapped around him.

Daniel let out a contented hum against Elias' shoulder, and Daniel felt Elias chuckle against him, the sound deep and velvety right in his ear and Daniel struggles to suppress a shiver.

Daniel turns his head to face the other way, his nose slightly pressed against Elias' neck, and Daniel feels Elias' grip on his tighten ever so slightly.

"I love you. I do really love you," Daniel whispers against Elias' neck, his eyes never opening, not even when he feels Elias move to press a kiss to his hair.

Daniel feels like he could fall asleep right there in Elias' arms, his eyes starting to drift shut, but is stopped when Elias quietly asks him, "Are you still awake?"

Daniel nods, and shifts to a more comfortable position, pressing their bodies closer together, leaning his head up to look Elias in his eyes.

"I love you, Danny," Elias whispers and Daniel has never felt so happy. He leans in to kiss Elias, trying to calm his racing heart.

It's slow and delicate, and Daniel finds himself wanting more. They're so close, chest against chest, Daniel clinging desperately to Elias, not wanting to let go even in the slightest, and Elias can only hold onto him in return, his hands sliding down to rest on Daniel's waist.

This time it's Daniel who deepens the kiss, leaning up slightly. Elias kisses back just as eagerly, and Daniel's head starts to spin with the intensity of it, but this time, his lightheadedness only feels good.

Elias places one hand on Daniel's back, and one on the back of Daniel's head, and Daniel briefly wonders why, before he is pushing the both of them back.

The hand on his head and back slowly lowered him on the bed, Elias never disconnecting their lips. Elias hovered over him, his hands smoothing over Daniel's stomach, one slipping under his shirt to feel the softness of Daniel's skin.

Daniel opened his mouth wider as Elias deepened the kiss, their teeth clacking together. His heart was racing, and his head spinning, but he didn't care, not in slightest, because he had never felt so safe.

Daniel had never felt so open, so raw, his guard had never been so low. His thighs were splayed over Elias' and Daniel didn't know where to put his hands, so he just resorted to grasping the front of Elias' shirt so tightly that his knuckles went white.

Elias' other hand snakes down to underneath Daniel's shirt as well, slowly pushing the fabric up as he continued to kiss him. Daniel shivered as more skin was revealed, the cold air hitting his body and yet all he could focus on was the feeling of Elias' lips against his.

Elias hesitantly broke away, only to pull Daniel's shirt off over his head, instantly missing the taste of Daniel as soon as it was gone. The second Daniel's shirt was off of him, Elias leant down to reconnect their lips.

Elias' hands roamed all over Daniel, feeling every part of him that he could reach, and Daniel relished in it. Daniel came to the realisation that he loved Elias, he really, really, loved him. He kisses back a little harder at the thought.

Elias disconnects their lips, and instead presses a light kiss to the side of Daniel's neck, the feeling of it sending a shiver down his spine.

"Are you sure you want this?" Elias mumbled against Daniel's skin, his hands smoothing down Daniel's sides as he nuzzled the side of his throat.

"Yes," Daniel said, quieter than he intended, "I'm ready for this."

Elias is silent for a while, before saying, "You didn't answer my question. I asked if you wanted this."

Daniel stays silent for a few seconds before saying, "I- I do want this. I've been waiting for this," Daniel replied, bringing up a hand to grasp the back of Elias' neck. He _had_ been waiting for this, he had been waiting for so long.

"So have I," Elias mumbles right in Daniel's ear, his voice husky and low, and Daniel shivers from the feeling of it vibrating down his spine.

Elias presses a kiss to Daniel's cheek, and Daniel turns his head to capture Elias' lips in a kiss. It's slow but desperate, and it takes Daniel's breath away.

Elias deepens the kiss and his hands find their way running down Daniel's sides. Elias swears that Daniel could kill him with desire, the feeling of Daniel's body trapped underneath his sparking a heat in the pit of his stomach, and Elias just wanted nothing more than Daniel. He was wound tighter than a wire, like a spring, just waiting to come undone.

He wanted, he _needed_ , Daniel right there and then. Elias breaks away from the kiss, his stomach flipping when he hears the small whimper that Daniel makes when he does. Elias looks at Daniel for permission, his eyes silently pleading with Daniel, his chest rising and falling as he pants.

"Do you want this?" Elias asks, bringing up a hand to lightly cup Daniel's cheek, his thumb running over Daniel's swollen bottom lip.

"Yes, I want this so bad."

The reply was instant.

Elias just smiled, a smile full of adoration and love. He leant down to kiss Daniel, slow and sweet, and Elias loves the way that Daniel whines into his mouth, his hands pulling Elias as close as he could possibly be.

 

  
If Elias thought that he loved Daniel Bryan before, it's nothing to how he feels now, because Daniel is absolutely breathtaking. Whether it's from the way that Daniel clings so desperately to Elias as he speeds up his pace or the soft breathy moans that Daniel lets out, Elias finds himself entranced in the beauty that is Daniel.

Elias bends down to kiss at the nape of Daniel's neck, and he struggles to suppress a shiver as he hears Daniel's little whimpers and gasps as Elias' pace never slows. Elias allows himself to bask in the presence of Daniel around him, the feeling of Daniel's arms wrapped tightly around him, digging his nails into the broad expanse of his back, his legs encased around Elias' waist, bringing the two impossibly closer.

Elias lets out a groan of his own as the pleasure builds up, and his hands run all over Daniel's body, from his chest, all the way down his stomach, to his thighs.

He hears a sniff come from Daniel, and his eyes immediately snap up to him as the thrusting of his hips stutters slightly. Elias worries that something's wrong, but he can see how much pleasure that Daniel's in, from the way that he bites his bottom lip, to the way how his pupils are blown out wide from pleasure.

Elias presses a kiss to Daniel's neck, before grunting in his ear, "You okay?"

Daniel nods his head enthusiastically, opening his mouth to reply, but only managing a moan as Elias hits just the right spot. Daniel just feels like he's in heaven, and his heart swells up with love and happiness because Elias is there with him, he didn't leave; he stayed with him because Elias loves him.

And Daniel's heart does flips at the thought of it: the thought of Elias loving him, but Daniel notices the delicate touches that Elias gives him, and the soft side glances. The innocent touches that Elias gave him whilst they talked were not what normal people did, and Daniel has to wonder how _long_ had Elias been like that towards him?

Daniel had to wonder how long had Elias loved him whilst Daniel was oblivious?

Daniel realises that it was too long, and Daniel wants nothing more than to make up for it. He just wished that he could have loved Elias sooner.

Daniel lets out another sniffle, and Elias nuzzles the side of Daniel's throat, pressing light kisses there.

"I love you," Daniel manages to gasp out, his head thumping against the bed as he arches his back from the pleasure.

"I love you too, Danny," Elias replies, his voice gruff, his hands seeking out Daniel's as he laces their fingers together.

Daniel lets out his loudest moan yet, arching his back off of the mattress as he climaxes, Elias tumbling down not long after him. Daniel feels like he's in pure bliss, and he pulls Elias as close to him as possible.

Daniel just feels tired and wants nothing more than to sleep in Elias' arms: the safest place he's ever been in. His body is tingling, the high from his orgasm still coursing through his veins.

Daniel snuggles against Elias, and closes his eyes, as Elias wraps his arms around Daniel. Daniel can hear Elias' heartbeat, the slow, comforting thud, thud, thud, and Daniel lets out a soft sigh, not being able to hide the smile on his face.

 

  
He wakes up in the morning and instantly feels warm, which is thanks to Elias' arms bracketing his body protectively. He's facing Elias, and Daniel feels a little breathless. Elias looks so peaceful in his sleep, all the harsh tired lines temporarily are gone, and Daniel brings up a hand to lightly trace the curve of his jaw.

Elias' beard feels rough to touch, a contrast to the smoothness of his skin, and Daniel finds himself entranced with how ethereal Elias looks.

Elias stirs a bit in his sleep, and Daniel freezes, scared that he accidentally woke Elias up, but all Elias does it hug Daniel a little tighter.

Daniel doesn't remove his hand from Elias' face, but instead just traces random patterns on Elias' cheek as he sleeps. Daniel doesn't know how long he's there, but eventually, Elias wakes, Daniel never removing his hand.

Elias looks at him through half-lidded eyes and Daniel can't help the hitch in his breath.

"Morning, Danny," Elias says, his voice gruff from sleep, the deep sound sending a shiver down his spine.

"Good morning," Daniel says, a smile on his face as Elias starts to rub absentminded patterns into Daniel's skin.

Daniel's thumb runs over Elias' cheek, and Elias brings up a hand  
and places it over Daniel's, lacing their fingers together, and it's cheesy, Daniel thinks, but he wouldn't have it any other way.

"What did you think of last night?" Elias asks, his thumb circling Daniel's palm slowly.

"It was amazing," Daniel says, a little breathlessly at the remembrance of it, and Elias notices the smile on his face; it was kind of hard _not_ to notice it.

"I meant what I said last night."

"Everything?"

"Every single word."

Daniel moves closer after that, staring deep into Elias' eyes, blue into brown, and Elias can see the sparkle in them, it's absolutely beautiful.

"Even the part where you said that you loved me?" Daniel asks, and Elias can hear the nervousness in his voice, it makes Elias bring Daniel closer still.

They're face to face, and Elias just has to lean forward ever so slightly to connect their lips, which is something that Elias really wants to do.

"Especially the part where I said that I loved you."

Elias saw Daniel swallow his nervousness, and he can see the reluctance in Daniel's eyes, he can see what Daniel is thinking of doing.

He knows what Daniel wants.

Elias leans forwards and captures Daniel's lips in a kiss. Daniel tilts his head up to accommodate, his eyes fluttering closed as he allows Elias to take over.

The kiss itself is lazy, and yet Daniel wouldn't have it any other way, it's slow and languid and so utterly amazing that Daniel can't help the way that his heart flutters.

When Elias pulls away, Daniel's eyes stay closed; still caught in the beauty of the moment, and Elias lets out a small chuckle at the sight. Daniel peeks his eyes open after hearing Elias' chuckle, a petulant frown on his face, although Elias could see the smile that he was trying to hide.

"I do really love you," Elias says after a while, and while Elias can see the love in Daniel's eyes, he can also see the slightest bit of fear.

He doesn't want to see that in Daniel.

Elias knows that Daniel is scared of hurting him, and every time that that fear comes up, Elias just wants to destroy it, because there is no way whatsoever that Daniel Bryan could ever hurt him, he was too perfect for that.

Elias brings up a hand to cup Daniel's cheek, and the way that Daniel looks at him just makes him fall in love all over again.

"Danny, look, I know you think that love is rough, but I'll be here by your side, every step of the way."

"You promise?"

The reply was instant.

"I promise."


End file.
